Nats promise to take an axe to taxes if voted into Government

A National-led Government would axe the Auckland fuel tax, promise no new taxes or any petrol tax increases in its first term, and kill off any capital gains tax that the current Government might bring in.

Launching the party’s Have Your Say Families campaign in Auckland in his last major speech of the year, leader Simon Bridges said the current coalition Government was one of good intentions, but poor outcomes.

He said the cost of living was rising due to the axing of National’s tax cuts combined with rising petrol prices and rents, which flow on to make everything else more expensive.

“Why should a family in West Auckland who are trying to make ends meet have to pay $15 extra every time they fill up their car, $30 extra every week in rent, and be forced to forego tax cuts that would have left more than $40 each week in their back pockets?” Bridges said.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hit back, saying he had failed to take into account the Government had increased the minimum wage.

Bridges said the Government was wasting money on trams in Auckland, a poorly targeted fees-free tertiary education policy, and the $3 billion regional development fund.

It had introduced a raft of changes including banning letting fees, ringfencing losses, extending the bright line test, and was considering a capital gains tax, Bridges said.

He said National would focus on good outcomes, not just good intentions, and highlighted the Government’s offshore oil and gas ban that he said would “actually increase global emissions”.

The party would repeal the Auckland regional fuel tax, and “we will not introduce any new taxes [nationwide] during our first term”.

“I believe Kiwis pay too much tax already,” he said. ‘So . . . if the Government legislates a capital gains tax . . . then we will get rid of it.”